US President Donald Trump said he spoke by phone with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, and both agreed to end hostilities on the border and return to the ceasefire agreement he brokered earlier this year, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
“This morning I had a very good conversation with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen regarding the very unfortunate new resurgence of their long-running war. They agreed to cease all firing, effective tonight, and return to the original peace agreement“, Trump wrote on the social platform “Truth Social“ (Truth Social).
“Both countries are ready for peace and continued trade with the United States,“ he said.
Trump's comments were in stark contrast to those made hours earlier by the Thai prime minister, who made no mention of an agreement to end the fighting between the two countries, which has been going on for five days. Anutin said he had asked Trump to call on Cambodia to end hostilities and remove landmines.
“I explained to President Trump that we are not the aggressor against Cambodia, but we are retaliating,“ Anutin told reporters.
“He wants a ceasefire. I told him to tell our friends that they shouldn't just say they're ceasefire, they should tell the world that Cambodia will cease fire, withdraw its troops, and remove all the landmines it has laid. "They have to show us first," the Thai prime minister said.
Cambodia and Thailand have fired rockets and artillery at several points along their disputed 817-kilometer border, in some of the heaviest fighting since a five-day conflict in July that Trump ended with calls for a ceasefire.
Renewed fighting this week has left at least 20 people dead and more than 260 wounded, according to both sides, who blame each other for reigniting the conflict.
Trump has sought to intervene again to salvage a truce he brokered, which was extended in October when he met with the two prime ministers in Malaysia. They agreed on a process for withdrawing troops and heavy weapons and releasing 18 Cambodian prisoners of war.
Thailand terminated the agreement last month, expressing anger after a Thai soldier was maimed in the latest in a series of incidents involving landmines that Bangkok says were recently planted by Cambodia. Phnom Penh denies the allegations.
Trump, who has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, touted himself on Tuesday as a global peacemaker who has "ended eight wars" and expressed confidence he would get the ceasefire "back on track," Reuters reports.